Crushed Shells and Mud E-Book

Ben Musgrave

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Serie: NHB Modern Plays
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 98

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

'She came out of the sea Crawled out of the mud, quietly Shy and beautiful, brushing off sand and shells' England trembles in the grip of a devastating epidemic. But in a remote coastal village, quiet Derek waits for love and life to really begin. Then Lydia arrives. She burns brightly, beyond Derek's wildest dreams. And she is hiding something. When Derek discovers her secret, they are both propelled into a strange new world of conflicted desire and dangerous loyalties, where terrifying forces test their courage and humanity. But can love survive the fear inside? Ben Musgrave's play Crushed Shells and Mud premiered at the Southwark Playhouse, London, in October 2015.

Leseprobe

Ben Musgrave

CRUSHED SHELLSAND MUD

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Acknowledgements

Characters

Crushed Shells and Mud

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Crushed Shells and Mud was first performed at the Southwark Playhouse, London, on 1 October 2015. The cast was as follows:

VINCE

Alexander Arnold

LYDIA

Hannah Britland

SARAH

Laura Howard

DEREK

Alex Lawther

PETER

Simon Lenagan

Director

Russell Bolam

Designer

Ellan Parry

Lighting Designer

Richard Godin

Sound Designer

Richard Hammarton

Movement Director

Jack Murphy

Acknowledgements

The idea for this play began on a trip to Uganda to talk to people whose lives had been transformed by antiretroviral drugs. Many thanks to Annie Katuregye and all who took the time to tell me about their experiences. Thanks also to Theatrescience, Rebecca Gould, and Caroline Grundy for developing the idea and for getting me out there in the first place.

I wrote the first draft of the play on attachment at the National Theatre Studio and I am enormously grateful to all at the Studio who enabled this – in particular Brian Walters, Matthew Poxon, and Rebecca Frecknall (who directed two excellent workshop readings of the play, the first featuring Nick Blakeley, Robin Pearce and Jess Murphy, the second Siân Thomas, Ted Reilly, Tom Hughes and Lou Broadbent).

I am always indebted to the Dog House Group – Matt Morrison, Robin Booth, Samantha Ellis, and Nick Harrop. And also to Rachel Taylor, Robert Holman, and Lucy Morrison for useful thoughts. Thank you to Kirsten Forster. Thank you also to all at Nick Hern Books and the Southwark Playhouse.

Huge thank you to Joe Strickland, Simon Lenegan, and especially to Russell Bolam who believed in the play and had the cheek and sheer bloody-mindedness to get it on.

To my parents for supporting this play and my strange career, and of course to Selene Burn, for everything.

B.M.

Characters

DEREK, seventeen

LYDIA, seventeen

VINCENT, seventeen

SARAH, forty-eight

PETER, forty

OLD LADY, seventy-five

Notes

The play can be performed with a cast of five actors, doubling Sarah and the Old Lady.

A forward slash (/) marks an interruption by the next speaker.

The absence of a full stop at the end of a line marks a trailing off or an interruption of thought.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

ACT ONE

Scene One

She Crawled Out of the Sea

The east coast of England.

A field. High brambles, nettles, tall grasses obscure a view of the sea. The memory of a path down.

In the other direction, a track leading to the village.

Within the field a holiday caravan, weathered, battered, seagullspattered.

A changeable day in summer. At this moment it is grey.

DEREK emerges from the caravan, carrying a plain brown notebook. He goes to the side of the caravan, and climbs up the side-ladder.

From the top, he looks at the sea for a moment, then sits down, dangling his legs from the roof.

He takes the notebook, and makes a slight adjustment to what is written within.

He starts to read what he has out loud.

DEREK

One day she came out of the sea.

She crawled out of the mud, quietly.

Shy and beautiful

Brushing off sand and shells.

And over marsh and pool she looked straight into his eyes.

And even from that distance

He knew she understood him.

And knew she had the answers

To all the things that hurt or didn’t make sense.

He looks up as the sun comes out and warms his face.

Scene Two

Lydia

By the caravan.

A brighter day.

DEREK is showing LYDIA around.

He is not in her league.

DEREK

(Of the path to the sea.) Now, normally you can get to the sea this way, there’s a path that winds down, but there haven’t been the walkers really, in recent years.

So it’s quite grown over.

I’ll see if I can beat it back at the weekend.

LYDIA

(Smiling.) Don’t worry.

DEREK

Oh I don’t mind!

LYDIA

It was just a whim.

DEREK

We need to keep it open.It’s a right of way.You can’t just let it go.

(Of the caravan.) This is just…

Someone just dumped this here.We use it sometimes – the farmer doesn’t mind.

You’re most welcome at any time.

LYDIA

Thanks.

DEREK tries to point out the view.

DEREK

Well, that’s the sea.(Looking down into the vegetation.) It’s not a great beach, if I’m honest.Quite muddy.There’s a better one further down the coast.Rockpools, a bit of sand.I could show you?

LYDIA

(Smiling.) Okay.

DEREK

I’m not much of a swimmer.Well, I can thrash about…

(Of her name.) It was ‘Lydia’ wasn’t it?

LYDIA

Yes.

DEREK

(Embarrassed.) I always forget in the flurry of it. And then it’s embarrassing to ask again.

Pause.

(Of his name.) Derek.

LYDIA

Yes.

LYDIA smiles. They look into the brambles.

DEREK

Did you swim where you were before?

LYDIA

A little bit.

DEREK

Where was it?

Beat.

LYDIA

Sussex.

DEREK

So this must be a bit of a change!

LYDIA

Yes!

DEREK

Everything okay there?

LYDIA

Yes, we were fine.

Pause.

DEREK

Your parents move out here?

LYDIA

No… They’re in…Germany.

Business…

I’m staying with my aunt for the holidays.

LYDIA stares out.

DEREK

(Of the whole area.) There’s not much here.

It’s notWell it’s not too wonderful.

If you’re after clubs and things there’s one in Stonesea. We had a disco at the village hall last year but it wasn’t up to much.

There’s a shop or two and a pub.

I think it would be hard in a new place.

LYDIA looks down. She suddenly appears upset.

I don’t know I’d have the bravery to be honest.

He tries, inexpertly, to comfort her.

Don’t worry, you’ll be alright. You’ll be as right as rain!

Pause. He can think of only one solution.

I can do you a cup of tea?

Pause.

(Of the caravan.) I’ve got a thing rigged up in here.

LYDIA

Okay, thanks.

DEREK

Maybe you have to go?

LYDIA

No, I’m okay for a bit.

DEREK

Right!

I’ll go and get it on.(Of the tea.) It might have to be black I’m afraid.

DEREK opens the caravan door and goes in.

LYDIA takes a cigarette from a soft anonymous packet and lights it.

She looks around as she smokes.

(From inside.) There we go!

DEREK comes out. He sees her smoking. A moment of alarm.

LYDIA

Sorry

DEREK

No, don’t worry!

LYDIA

Am I not allowed?

DEREK

Course, I just didn’t know you / did

LYDIA

(Offering him one.) Would you like / one?

DEREK

(Smiling.) No, thank you!

Beat.

I’ve never taken to it.

Pause.

(Going back into the caravan for the tea.) I’ll just get the

(From inside.) Do you want sugar?

LYDIA

No.

Pause. DEREK comes out.

DEREK

Will you promise me something, Lydia?

Will you give up by the time you’re twenty-five?

LYDIA

If I last till twenty-five.

Beat.

DEREK

Why do you say that?

Beat. LYDIA realises she has said something odd.

LYDIA

Sorry, I was being dramatic.

DEREK

Are you often dramatic?

LYDIA

No, not really.

Beat. She extinguishes her cigarette. DEREK goes into the caravan to get the tea.

She checks her phone.

DEREK

Reception comes and goes I’m afraid…

She puts her phone away.

It’s got markedly worse, actually, the mast is often broken, and they take weeks to repair it.

Beat.

Sorry, I know I go on a bit.

LYDIA

No, you’re alright.

VINCENT, enters, unseen. He is smart in a way DEREK is not.

VINCENT  

Can I smell tobacco in the air?

DEREK freezes.

DEREK

No.

VINCENT

It wasn’t you, was it, Derek?

DEREK

No, mate.

VINCENT

You weren’t smoking were you?

DEREK

No!

DEREK shrinks back.

LYDIA

It was me.

VINCENT

Hello.

LYDIA

Hello.

VINCENT

Have you got a spare one?

LYDIA

Sure.

She goes to her bag, and searches for her cigarettes. DEREK disapproves of VINCENT.

VINCENT

(To DEREK.) What’s the problem, chicken, it’s only a cigarette?

DEREK

She doesn’t have to.

LYDIA

I don’t mind.

VINCENT

(To LYDIA.) You’re here on your holidays?

LYDIA

Yeah.

VINCENT  

I saw you in the village.

LYDIA hands him a cigarette.

Thanks.

Derek’s been showing you round?

LYDIA

Yeah.

VINCENT

He’s made you a brew?Isn’t he fantastic!

DEREK

No!

VINCENT

You could polish him up and put him on a ring!

LYDIA smiles.

He knows all the places!We all love Derek, don’t we?

DEREK looks away.

What’s your name?

LYDIA

(Smiling.) Lydia.

VINCENT

(Holding out his hand to shake hers.) Pleased to meet you, Lydia.

She shakes his hand.

DEREK

This is Vince.

VINCENT

Vincent.

LYDIA doesn’t flinch from his gaze.

There’s a pub in the village, Lydia.

LYDIA

Yeah?

VINCENT

There are lock-ins, parties. People come from miles around.

Beat.

There’s one tonight.

LYDIA

Not tonight.

VINCENT  

Why not?

LYDIA

I can’t, tonight.

VINCENT

Can I try and persuade you?

DEREK

She doesn’t want to go with you, Vince!

VINCENT

She didn’t say that.

LYDIA

No, I didn’t say that.

Beat.

(To DEREK.) Are you going?

DEREK

No.

VINCENT

He’s most welcome.

DEREK

I’m alright.

Beat.

VINCENT

Can I have a cup of tea, Derek?

Pause. DEREK seems anxious about leaving VINCENT and LYDIA together.

No, I’ll go, don’t worry.

DEREK

You can have mine.

VINCENT

You sure?

DEREK

Yeah.

VINCENT

Thanks!

(To LYDIA.) He doesn’t like people in his caravan.

DEREK

I don’t mind!

VINCENT

(About going to the pub.) Do you like dancing, Lydia?

LYDIA

Yes.

VINCENT

I can tell.

LYDIA

How?

VINCENT

How about we go to the pub?

LYDIA

I need to get home.

VINCENT  

Where do you live? I’ll walk you.

LYDIA

No, I’m fine.

VINCENT

Where are you, though?

She gestures imprecisely.

LYDIA

Over that way.

VINCENT

You want to be careful on the paths at night.

LYDIA

Why?

VINCENT

There could be shrinkies out.

Beat. LYDIA is alarmed.

DEREK

What? There aren’t, Lydia!

VINCENT

There are!

DEREK

Not round here.

VINCENT

It’s coming our way, they say!Woman died last week in Leigh – a cockle-picker.They say it was that.

DEREK

(Uncertain.) Don’t be stupid!

VINCENT

They say it’s coming.

DEREK

It won’t get here.

VINCENT

Did it get to where you were, Lydia?

LYDIA

No.

VINCENT

They say there’s more of them about than we would think.

Pause.

Well, you be careful.

LYDIA

I will.

VINCENT

Are you after anything else, Lydia?

Medicinals?

Beat. LYDIA is alarmed.

Something to make you feel good?

Then she understands what he means.

LYDIA

What can you get here?

VINCENT  

(Ushering her away.) Not in front of Derek.

DEREK

It’s alright!

VINCENT

Derek doesn’t approve of drugs.

DEREK

It’s not that!

VINCENT

He doesn’t approve of my lifestyle.

DEREK

(Trying to save face.) It’s not that.

LYDIA

I don’t think he liked me smoking.

DEREK

No, / I didn’t mean

VINCENT

(To DEREK.) Cheeky bleeder!

VINCENT ‘lightheartedly’ smears his hand up against DEREK’s nose.

DEREK

Getoff!

VINCENT

You leave the lady alone.

DEREK

I didn’t do anything!

VINCENT

(To LYDIA, of DEREK.) He gives you any jip, you box him round the ears, that’s what I do.

VINCENT shadow-boxes with DEREK. DEREK tries to shadow-box back but it’s hopeless.

DEREK grins and breaks it off.

VINCENT grins at LYDIA.

Isn’t he a little diamond?

Beat.

Come out tonight, Lydia!

LYDIA

Another time.

VINCENT

When would suit?

LYDIA

I’ll let you know.

VINCENT  

I’ll ask you again.

LYDIA

(